Two of Hearts
by Fairytale Mistress
Summary: Kaoru is brainwashed by a prisoner's camp she's put in during a war. When she returns home, she's supposed to kill the Battousai, but what happens when she remembers that Kenshin's the only one she's ever really loved?
1. Chapter 1

"Field Of Innocence"

Author's Notes: Well, this is part one of what will become a 4 part fic. I'm doing them as songfics because well, that's what I do. I don't own this song, or these people, but I do own this story, so nyah! And I'm sorry if you really LOVE Kaoru, SO DO I! But in order for this story to work, torture was necessary. Read it. You'll love it. I promise.

Rating: woo-boy. Um. Pg-13? Right now, its mostly just torture. There is mention of rape. But it's just the word. Rape. Just like that. Um. It might get more graphic later. But I don't know. This is mostly rated for violence.

Synopsis: This is war. Kaoru's been taken prisoner by the enemy and after the head of the prison finds out that she has connections to the Battousai, she's brainwashed—that can't be good, right? Keep reading to see how things turn out!

---

I still remember the world  
From the eyes of a child  
Slowly those feelings  
Were clouded by what I know now

"Prisoner 73743. Name: Kamiya Kaoru. Entry Date: October Seventeen." The headmaster's voice bellowed and Kaoru was thrown to the floor in the middle of the room—right in front of him. "Kamiya Kaoru." His voice turned from the file he held to the girl in front of him. "Welcome to The Cat House." His yellow teeth smiled at her, and Kaoru tried not to look at him, " I do hope you enjoy your stay!" The man laughed, and motioned for her to be taken to her cell.

3 weeks later

"This is war Miss Kaoru." One of the girls whispered through the walls. Kaoru had her tin-drinking cup pressed to said wall firmly, to amplify the girl's voice. She sat this way most the day—when she wasn't pulled from her room for questioning and subsequent torture. "You're lucky they haven't found anyone you love yet—they love to break you of your family ties." The girl, who Kaoru had come to know only as 'Lin' whispered. Kaoru gasped. Surely, then, if the guards or the headmaster found out that she had relations with the Battousai—she shook her head to try not to even think of it.

Muttering an acknowledgement, she set her cup on the ground and leaned back against the grimy wall opposite of the door. Just when her head hit the cold damp stone, her door opened. "Kamiya. The headmaster would see you." The guard spoke, but the sword in his hand made the conference a necessity and not an option.

"Kamiya Kaoru. Tell me. Does the name Himura ring a bell with you?" the headmaster wasted no time with her. And from her reaction, he judged that she knew the man. "Then you also know of his…darker side, no?" the headmaster grinned.

"No, I—" But the guard backhanded her.

"The Battousai has become a wanted man…a desired man in this war. If he will not fight with us he must be broken, Kamiya." The guard's gaze leveled with her. "Is there something going on between the two of you? Are you lovers? Answer me!" he screamed.

"No! Kenshin would nev—" But again she was slapped across the face, this time, she slid across the floor.

"But you _are_ important to him." The headmaster deduced, his eyes glistening. Turning to his guards, he grinned a grin Kaoru had never seen before; it was a grin she never wanted to see again, either. "Break her."

**  
Where has my heart gone  
An uneven trade for the real world  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all**

Kaoru's face was broken. Her eyes had swollen shut. She knew she was alive only because it hurt every time she breathed. She lay in the dark, on her cot with no pillow. She hadn't eaten in days. She thought back over the past several days, over what they had done to her. Telling her lies about the man she had fallen in love with. Showed her pictures—ancient pictures of him as the Battousai. Then the beatings started. The asked her a question, and when she gave them an answer they didn't like, she was kicked, punched, whipped, finally they strung her up by her wrists from the ceiling, and left for hours. Only for the process to start again the next day.

Kaoru did not know what to think. Perhaps the guards were right; perhaps he wasn't coming for her. Perhaps he had forgotten—'but no! What about that time! With Tomoe's brother! Kenshin nearly died out of grief for me!' Kaoru grimaced and tears slipped through the cracks in her bulging eyes. She had to believe Kenshin would come for her. She had to.****

I still remember the sun  
Always warm on my back  
Somehow it seems colder now

A month later

The doors opened and the prisoners were allowed out into the small stone yard adjacent to the group of cells. It was early December but none of the snow that had been expected from the girls had fallen.

Kaoru didn't leave her room. The cold air wafted in, and hit her in the face. Shutting her eyes, she turned to look away from the light. Her eyes had dulled. Her stare had hollowed. She spoke only in short, ambiguous sentences. And she spoke only when spoken to. Lin, tentatively approached her cell door, and when the shadow of the girl covered her doorway, Kaoru looked up. "Go away." She mumbled.

"Miss Kaoru?" Lin questioned, "You stopped talking to me a month ago. I thought you'd been sent home, until I heard the guards talking, what have they done to you?" Lin asked, coming to kneel before her fellow inmate.

"Things you can't imagine, Lin." Kaoru gritted her teeth. There were no more tears to cry, there was only emptiness, and anger. She turned back toward her friend. ****

Where has my heart gone  
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything

Lin hesitated to touch her friend. And finally laid a hand on a scar that rested at the base of Kaoru's neck. "Kaoru, you look terrible. Is it over? Are they done with you? Why did they do this to you?" Lin knew she was putting herself in danger by asking these questions, but she had to know what had happened to such a wonderful person as Kamiya Kaoru.

"They are never done." Kaoru grumbled. "They beat and rape and torture until there's nothing left, and then they do it just because it pleases them." She still wasn't looking at the other girl.

Lin gasped, unbelieving. Why hadn't any of the other girls experienced this same treatment? What was it about Kaoru that made the men treat her this way?

"It isn't they're fault." Kaoru said. Finally looking her friend in the eyes. The hollow stare sent Lin back a few feet. "It was him. He betrayed me." She spat. "He stole my innocence and he sent me here to get rid of me."

Lin was flabbergasted, "Who!" she asked, wondering what Kaoru was talking about. But she could not wait for an answer. An alarm sounded, and she was thrust back into her own cell.

Kaoru's eyes watched the door as it slammed shut and a tear fell, "The Battousai." She whispered. ****

Where has my heart gone  
An uneven trade for the real world  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything  
Away  


"Prisoner 73743. Name: Kamiya Kaoru. Entry Date: October Seventeen. You are hereby issued a formal release. Dated March Three." The headmaster read his file almost gleefully. As he inspected the woman standing before him, he had to admire his handiwork. Never before had he broken—brainwashed someone quite so thoroughly. "Kamiya. You know what you have been released to do."

"Yes." She spoke without moving.

"You will kill the Battousai before he finds this place, before he reaches enemy lines." The headmaster continued. "He is a powerful weapon, Kamiya. You are our only hope. You know what he did to you. This is your revenge. This is your chance to repay him for what he put you through."

Kaoru's face darkened. Her eyes formed small slits, "I will kill the Battousai because he wronged me. Because he raped me and left me for dead. I am indebted to you for taking me in and saving my life. This is my task."

"Excellent. You are free to go." The headmaster said, handing her her things, and showing her the door.

**  
Where has my heart gone  
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything**

Kaoru felt strange walking down roads she'd seen before. Somehow the breeze that was blowing, it just wasn't the same. She was numb to it all. When she approached her old home, all was quiet. The large wooden gate was closed, but dawn had not approached, she imagined the people in the house, if they were still there, were still asleep. She wanted to be alone anyway.

Touching the wood on the gate she felt sick to her stomach. Something was wrong. What was she going to do again? She felt slimy too, like someone had grabbed the back of her neck and sent chills down her spine. She shook the feeling away and pushed open the gate.

Heading toward the dojo, she looked up at the house for a while. There was love in that house—but she swore she never felt any of it. She'd never been loved, had she? Only hurt… that's right. By _him._

Turning sharply, she headed for her father's practice room. She found there, besides empty space, his collection of antique swords. She picked them up, one by one, testing their weight and durability.

"This is heavier than what I'm working with, isn't it?" she muttered to herself, and then looked across the room to the stand of wooden swords she and Yahiko used to practice with. "I…I can't…"

She tried to uncloud her brain—but the fog was just too thick for her to see clearly.****

I still remember.

Soo…

Part 1 is finished! Ready for part 2? Yeah I know, this kinda sucks, but it had to be bad before it could get better, right! Hah. Wait and see!


	2. Chapter 2

"Even In Death"

Author's Notes: Again, I don't own anything but the story. So. This is sort of Kenshin's end of the whole deal. Hopefully I've explained a little bit of why he couldn't have gone and rescued her—even though he really wanted to. (He did have others he had to protect.) The plot thickens here, so stay tuned!

Rating: Eh. PG probably. Nothing too dramatic. Just a lot of feelings—I guess.

Synopsis: Kaoru comes back to the Dojo, sure. But what has Kenshin been doing while she's been gone? What happens when they see each other for the first time?

  
  
Give me a reason to believe that you're gone  
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong  
Moonlight on the soft brown earth  
It leads me to where you lay  
They took you away from me but now I'm taking you home

Kenshin hadn't slept in four days. So the war had hit Japan. It had been raging in the West for so long Kenshin had thought it would never make it this far, but somehow, it did. And now, his beloved was gone.

It was Aoshi who brought him the news. "She's been taken." Was all he'd said. He would not look Kenshin in the eyes. Kenshin would have gone after her, but there was a bounty on the head of the Battousai. Every day, there were people attacking the Kamiya dojo, the Akebeko, and any other place that Kenshin or his friends had been spotted. Even Megumi's office had been bombed. Luckily Sanosuke was there to help her and any injured to safety.

Now they were holed up in the dojo. All of them sleeping under one roof. And Kenshin prayed that his beautiful one would return safe from harm. He knew she was a warrior. But if she fought the wrong men, she would die mercilessly against their cold steel. Others would choose to make her their personal slaves. Kenshin could not think what might have happened to her in one of those prisons. Especially if any of the personnel found out that she had anything to do with him.

He began to hate himself to bringing himself into her life. But Aoshi took pity on him, and reasoned with him that if he were not here, worse things might have happened.

"She is alive, Battousai." Aoshi said, one night, on the porch of the dojo, just before making the rounds. Kenshin stared at him.

"I know she is." He said, but he could not smile.

The moon was bright as Aoshi stepped off the porch and walked about the grounds checking for signs of intruders. Kenshin walked back inside the house. After pacing the halls, he stopped at the room no one had been in in four months.

**  
I will stay forever here with you  
My love  
The softly spoken words you gave me  
Even in death our love goes on**

He went to her futon and knelt beside it. 'If you're not dead, Kaoru, it must be worse than death.' He thought and felt a pain in his chest rise.

He heard the crickets chirping outside her window and he remembered how he used to stand outside and listen to her moving. Listen to her talk to herself when she thought no one was listening. He used to walk the halls at night and he'd stop at her door and he could just hear her breathing—if he held his breath and closed his eyes.

Kenshin reached out and touched her pillow softly, and then in one heavy movement, fell forward and planted himself on her bedroll. The tears came for him, and rolled unbidden down his cheeks. 'I should have told you a long time ago how much I loved you.' He thought helplessly to himself. 'I realized that you're important to me; I realized I can't live without you; and now, I realize that…' but he never finished his thought. Aoshi was outside the window.

"Kenshin. There's someone here." He said in a hushed tone. "You'd better come see this."

He didn't want to move. But if it was an intruder, and Aoshi was acting like this, it must be something serious.

**Some say I'm crazy for my love, Oh my love  
But no bonds can hold me from your side, Oh my love  
They don't know you can't leave me  
They don't hear you singing to me**

Still silently lamenting over Kaoru, he rose from her bed and wiped his face. Stepping from her room hastily, he made his way silently to the front door. Aoshi met him there and lead him to the practice arena.

"Kenshin." Aoshi whispered, stopping the man with his arm. "You aren't prepared for this."

Kenshin looked the tall man in the eyes and tilted his head. "What ever it is, Aoshi, I am ready to defend Miss Kaoru's land."

"Kenshin." Aoshi stressed. "It _is_ Miss Kaoru."

Kenshin's breath caught in his throat, and he peered through the small slit in the doorway.****

I will stay forever here with you  
My love  
The softly spoken words you gave me  
Even in death our love goes on

Sliding the door open drew her attention. 'There he is. I knew it wouldn't take long.' She thought, eyes narrowing. "Battousai."

Kenshin was unfamiliar with that name falling from her lips. He glanced at Aoshi who shrugged. Kenshin's eyes shone in the dark, and as the open door's light struck Kaoru; Kenshin saw just how the prison had changed her.

Kenshin's heart fell to his feet. 'She's been broken.' He thought angrily. 'I should have gone for her. Damn all the odds.' Then he heard it. The chink of a sword leaving the holster. Not a bokken, but a real sword. Kaoru had been sent to kill. Kenshin stood still as she raced towards him; no noises were uttered, other than the air swishing through her clothes and hair. Kenshin leapt up at the last instant, and her blade met Aoshi's instead. But Kaoru was uninterested in fighting Aoshi; she was there for one man only.

"Battousai. I have come to exact my revenge on you." She growled, low, alien to her own, naturally sweet voice.

Kenshin stumbled, shocked that this sound was once his beloved. What had he done to her?

Aoshi asked his question.

"He betrayed me!" she yelled, "He took from me." Her voice was quiet. Almost uncertain. Her brow furrowed. "He… raped… me…"

Kenshin looked astonished. Never in his life had he laid a hand on a woman in lust. "My god. Aoshi. They've—" But Aoshi already knew.****

And I can't love you, anymore than I do

Kaoru fell to her knees against Aoshi and Kenshin ran to her. "Hurry, let's get her inside, she needs to rest." Kenshin said, and Aoshi agreed picking up her sword and placing it back where it belonged in her father's collection. Kenshin carried her inside the dojo and into her old room.

Misao and Megumi met him there, and Megumi began to look her over. "Dear God, Kenshin. This girl's been torn apart." Megumi looked over her bruises, her scars, and her lacerations. "None of these look like they were self-inflicted either. Kenshin, she was tortured. Badly." Megumi said, looking up at the Battousai who was fuming at the foot of the bed.

Aoshi sighed. "They found out she knew you. Probably that she loved you. And they've sent her back to kill you—to get you out of their hair." He finished.

"We'll see who wins this war." Kenshin muttered. "It's personal now. She thinks I…" He swallowed. "I'll show her. I will prove my love to her. And then, when they come for us, I'll make sure they wished they'd never been born." His eyes were amber, pure, glowing, angry, amber. This was war, all right. And he was one dangerous man to be reckoned with.****

People die, but real love is forever.

Well, we're half way there and things are getting juicy!

Stay tuned for part three!


	3. Chapter 3

"Lies"

Author's Notes: I'm getting very tired of saying this: But I own nothing. Ok so. The tides turn. Things are starting to change for the good n'est pas? There's still another part left, Wait till you see what happens next!

Rating: Uh… Pg-13 again. I guess. Violence in this chapter, mention of rape again. Nothing spectacular. The big stuff happens next.

Synopsis: Kaoru tries to do what the people who brainwashed her tell her to, only to find that she can't, and that she loves the one she's supposed to kill. Then, who shows up? Who's going to win this war that's suddenly become WAY too personal!

Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear  
Sealed with lies through so many tears  
Lost from within, pursuing the end  
I fight for the chance to be lied to again

The dreams were the worst part of it all for Kaoru. The beatings, she grew used to. But the dreams took a toll on her she was unprepared to deal with. What she hated most was that she had loved this man. Why in all the times she had lied in that cold stone prison had she not thought of death she did not know; but now, lying on a cushy mattress, surrounded by people she once cared for, she wished she would never wake up.

Kaoru was confused. Why had she hesitated? Why had he not drawn against her and fought? Why had he looked at her with such… what was that emotion in his eyes? She couldn't shake the feeling that she had gone from the betrayed to the betrayer. She needed guidance.

"Kaoru, are you awake?" a female voice was above her, and she opened her eyes to see Megumi.

"Yes." She responded.

"How are you feeling? I bandaged most of your wounds, they should be healing in a few days." Megumi was mixing something in a small bowl that smelled like cough syrup and hand lotion. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better." She encouraged Kaoru to sit up.

Kaoru sat and drank, watching the dark haired woman all the while. 'I know this lady. But I don't like her.' She thought. 'She's a brilliant doctor, though.' Kaoru looked around her room, trying to piece her fragmented mind back together. 'This is my room.' She sighed. 'It's been so long since I've been here I thought I'd never see it again.'

Misao knocked and entered with a bowl of soup and Kaoru took it hesitantly but politely. She didn't speak, but she didn't need to, Misao never shut up long enough before she left and again the room was silent.

Kaoru stood and washed herself in a basin that had been provided by Megumi, and then dressed in her usual practice outfit. Looking in the mirror, she was transfixed by her own reflection. Several bruises were fading, several scars were healing, and bandages were able to been seen from her shoulders down. 'Kenshin couldn't have done this to me. These are far too fresh.' A thought strayed into her head and she hated it. If it wasn't the Battousai, then who was it? Surely there was someone to blame for her destruction.

She heard a whisper and she turned her head sharply toward her window, but there was no one there. 'I'm hearing things,' she thought to herself, ironically. But she heard it again. It was the voice of a woman. And it was whispering to her the truth her heart didn't want to admit. 'You love him.'

You will never be strong enough  
You will never be good enough  
You were never conceived in love  
You will not rise above

Her insecurity was strong that night. She knew he was the best fighter possibly in the known world. And she was going to kill him. Damn that voice in her head that pleaded with her to reconsider, that told her that she needed him to live, damn that part of her that could not live with out him, because he destroyed her, yes he did. What had the guards told her? She'd never be good enough—if she didn't do this. That's right. And she wanted to be good enough. She wanted to be free of the nightmares, the forceful kisses embedded into the back of her head, the pain and the torture. The rape. She wanted it all to be gone. And he was the one who was going to clear her slate.

Kenshin heard her coming, and he sat waiting for her in the practice room of the house. His reverse blade resting on one shoulder, his bangs covering his eyes, he waited. The door slid open and then shut again, and she moved to stand in front of him.

"Get up, Battousai." It was cold; it was an angry bark. But to him, it was also hurt, and full of emotions hidden behind that anger. He looked up at her.

"Kaoru." No honorific. His voice was deep and it rumbled in his chest.

She took a step back when she saw his eyes. They were amber not with rage or lust but with love. She recognized it only in that part of her that refused to die. Raising her sword, she faltered, "Battousai. You betrayed me." She said, but her voice quavered, she was on the brink of tears. Her confusion was slipping through.

"No, Kaoru. I have loved you. My only betrayal was not coming after you." He spoke, still sitting, staring up at her. In one motion he reached up and jerked the sword from her hand, flinging it across the floor. "Don't do this Kaoru. Don't be what they want you to be." His eyes never left her own.

She took a few steps back from him, and jerked a dagger from the folds of her practice uniform. "They helped me…" she said, shaking her head. "You destroyed me." She charged him.

They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

Kenshin leapt from his position and flew over her head. Landing behind her, he held his sword at his side. "Kaoru, I will not hurt you. I would never hurt you." He said. "Give me one chance to prove it to you." He implored.

Kaoru shook her head. 'Those eyes. It's all a ploy. I've seen that yellow before. When he's killed, I've seen it.' But then another part of her whispered that she'd never seen him like this. She'd never seen him in love. She growled and suppressed that voice, charging at him again, but this time he didn't move.

Kenshin caught the knife and flung it away from Kaoru, and rested his hands firmly on her shoulders. Taking her in his arms he pressed her to him gently and kissed her.

Kaoru went rigid, shocked by his actions, staring into that amber haze she saw what could only be defined as unadulterated love for her. Then every muscle in her body loosened, and she found her arms weaving around Kenshin's neck and pulling him closer.

Part of her head was screaming at her, but as he kissed her, as she gazed into that amber oblivion, her thoughts became white hot. Suddenly every moment she spent in that prison camp, every episode of questions and torture, every time someone would take advantage of her, every time she was left bleeding on the cot in the cell, it was all crystal clear. Kenshin was not the enemy.

But through my tears breaks a blinding light  
Birthing a dawn to this endless night  
Arms outstretched, awaiting me  
An open embrace upon a bleeding tree

When Kenshin pulled away from Kaoru, he half expected her to slap or kick him away from her. Instead, he found her crying, limply clinging to his gi, holding on for dear life. Just like that, the spell had been broken. "Kaoru?" He asked, and she sniveled and looked up at him.

"Oh, Kenshin!" she gasped, not knowing what to do. Wanting to wrap herself up in him. He leaned his head down to her, and she kissed him again, softly, before burying her face in his chest. "It was terrible, Kenshin. What they did to me to get to you. They wanted me to kill you. Wanted me to believe you—" But Kenshin knew. And he shushed her and they collapsed in the middle of the floor and sat that way for a long time.

When her tears stopped, she pulled away from him. He looked her in the eyes, and noticed that some of their light had returned—he knew that he might never see all of it again. "Kaoru, I meant what I said." He whispered. "I love you. I have loved you." It felt good to get it off of his chest.

Kaoru touched his face, wanting to feel what it felt like, to know love. She'd been so familiar with every thing else for so long—she'd forgotten love even existed. "And I have loved you, Himura Kenshin." She smiled a genuine smile, before bringing her lips to his.

Rest in me and I'll comfort you  
I have lived and I died for you  
Abide in me and I vow to you  
I will never forsake you

Kenshin held her for a long time, before there was a knock at the door. It was Sanosuke. "Kenshin?"

"I'm here." Kenshin called to his friend, looking up from Kaoru to the doorway. "What is it?"

"We have company, Kenshin. The men from Kaoru's prison. They're here. All of them." Sanosuke sounded tired.

Kaoru looked up at Kenshin and gritted her teeth. "Kenshin. I can't face them again. They'll take me back; they'll kill you if they get the chance. They'll do horrible things to the others. We can't let them stay here." She gushed, looking around and picking up her father's sword. "This is personal, Kenshin. They tried to make me kill the only man I've ever loved. They destroyed my body and they tampered with my mind. Kenshin, these men deserve death." Kaoru was angry, the lessons of her school were long gone—she was seeking revenge for her wrongs.

So was Kenshin. He picked his reverse blade up as well, and nodded. It was time that this was ended.

When the couple exited the practice room, Yahiko, Aoshi, Misao, and Sanosuke joined them. In the courtyard stood Ren Endoh, The Cat House's headmaster. Behind him were all twelve of his guards, grinning, ready to have a field day.

"What are you doing here?" Aoshi was the first to speak.

"We're here for the bounty on the Battousai, of course." Ren spoke laughing with his men. "We sent the girl, but we knew that brainwashing someone who truly loves the one they're sent to kill never works. So we'll have to kill them both, instead. I must admit, I had hoped, though. She had shown great promise." Ren smiled at Kaoru.

One of the men spoke up, "Yeah, she was a great plaything also! Never got tired of being taken!" the guys laughed to themselves. Kenshin growled.

Kaoru looked away from them, disgusted with herself and with the men in the yard. She was confronted with images of her past, and they haunted her. She knew there would be a battle tonight, and she prayed silently that she had the strength that was going to be necessary to finish what had already begun.

"Give up Battousai. You're better off just handing us your head now!" Ren blabbered his hand holding a sword outstretched. Kenshin clicked his out of its holster.

They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

"Uh oh." Sanosuke whispered to Aoshi. Before Kenshin leapt into the middle of the courtyard, right in front of Ren. "Kenshin's out for blood."

"Of course he is. Look at what happened to Kaoru. To him, that's unforgivable." Aoshi replied, as the guards spread out, and began to take on the other fighters. He heard Misao scream from the roof as she hurled her daggers. The first of the fighting had begun.

Kenshin drew his sword mid leap and flipped it blade-outward. He was now standing facing Ren Endoh, Brilliant amber eyes boring holes into the man's soul. "What you did to her you will pay for with your life." He said in a voice that was not entirely his own.

Ren had backed up a few steps, but he was still smiling. "I've won my share of battles Mr. Himura, if you think this is going to be easy."

"Easy or difficult, your fate has already been decided." Kenshin spat and leapt forward to engage the headmaster in combat.

**They'll never see  
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me**

Kaoru had been backed into her practice room again, and was fighting the first man who had taken her innocence. She felt strong, suddenly, to have a weapon to defend herself with. She took her usual stance, but she knew that this time, things were different, this time, instead of landing a crippling blow; she was going for the kill.

"What's the matter, Kaoru? You don't remember me? I was hoping I would get to nail you one more time." The man jerked his head back and mocked her cries.

Kaoru screamed and charged him, blocked his blow and planted her father's sword in his chest. "How does it feel Hojii? To have someone's sword embedded deep within you? Hurts like hell doesn't it?" Kaoru jerked her sword out of the dying man.

Yahikosaw it all, and snarled at the man who fell the floor. "No girl deserves to be treated like that… not even Busu!" He grabbed another sword from the wall, and raced out into the yard with it.

Sanosuke had unarmed four of the men and had them engaged in hand to hand combat, when, from out of nowhere, wham! Megumi clapped one over the head with a frying pan. "Nice going, Meg!" Sano shouted his approval. The doctor only smiled and made her way back inside the Dojo where it was relatively safe. The other three men were cake for Sanosuke, they both wound up in a heap on top of the first guy.

Aoshi and Misao had the rest, five of them surrounded them, grinning and waiting their turn to strike. "I must admit they are pretty well trained for prison guards." Aoshi noted to Misao who merely scoffed and called them over stuffed toys. Aoshi took three, Misao took two, and soon enough, those who weren't dead, were wounded enough that they couldn't move. Yahiko had taken his two chosen guards out in a lucky roundhouse. ****

Rest in me and I'll comfort you  
I have lived and I died for you  
Abide in me and I vow to you  
I will never forsake you

When it was all finished, only one battle remained. Kenshin and Ren. Ren had fought in the same war with Kenshin, and though he was a bit older than the red head, he was nearly his equal. Ren played dirty. And what he lacked in skill he made up for in tricks. Kenshin could read him well, and could dodge most of them, but they were both suffering, it was obvious.

"Kenshin." Kaoru gasped, and moved to help him, but Aoshi held her back.

"That's not a good idea, Miss. Kenshin's the Battousai now. He'll kill anything that gets too near." The tall man confirmed. All the others could do was sit and watch.

Kaoru was holding her breath and she didn't know it until Kenshin landed his fatal blow. He'd swept Ren off his feet and now was holding the reverse blade at his neck, "You've taken more from me than your death could even begin to give back." He growled coldly. You have destroyed the life of a young innocent girl and for that I cannot forgive you."

Ren knew that the Battousai had vowed never to kill again, and that he planned on breaking that vow now. "Battousai. Who are you to judge? Only God can tell me what I have done is wrong." He grinned, gasping for air.

Kenshin only smiled a cold, even smile. "Then I shall send you to meet Him, so He can do just that." And with that, it was over.

Kaoru ran to him. And he embraced her. "Kenshin are you alright?" She cried, looking over his face, noting the amber fading from his eyes. It was the first time she'd seen the violet pools since she'd returned.

"I am better now." He admitted, holding her tight to him, wanting never to let her out of his arms again.****

They'll never see   
I'll never be  
I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger  
Burning deep inside of me

Ah, who am I kidding On to part 4!


	4. Chapter 4

"Surrender"

Author's Notes: Nope, Don't own nuttin. So this is the steamy final chapter. Hope you guys enjoy.

Rating: R. Yeah. S'a Lemon!

Synopsis: uh… Sex? Bout time, eh?

Is this real enough for you  
You were so confused  
Now that you've decided to stay  
We'll remain together

The atmosphere in the courtyard was quickly changing and Aoshi coughed politely and ushered everyone inside to give Kenshin and Kaoru a little privacy.

Kenshin took Kaoru by the hand and lead her back into the Dojo and to her room. "Come, its time you got some real rest." He led her to her bed and lay her down gently.

"Don't go." She whispered, shaking. "I don't want to be alone anymore." Kaoru was so afraid of feeling that cold stone again she couldn't breathe.

Kenshin looked down at her helplessly. What could he do but crawl in bed with her? He caressed her face and brushed a strand of hair away, he smiled. "Of course. I'll stay by your side all night long, Kaoru." He said.

Kaoru, encouraging him to rest as well, moved over to allow him room. "Please, I know you're as tired as me." She offered and he stared at her.

'She doesn't know what she's asking.' He thought and meant to shake his head no, but found instead that he was sliding in beside her. She curled her head into his chest and remained that way for a long time.

Finally, why she felt she was ready, she loosened her body, and pulled away from him to look him in the eyes. "Kenshin?" she asked, quietly.

"Yes, Kaoru?" he replied, but his voice was strained.

Kaoru reached a hand to his face and his eyes opened to her. Again she saw the amber smoldering beneath the glassy surface, and she gasped. "Kenshin, I—" but he cut her off.

Kenshin kissed her tenderly, seeing in her eyes that she wanted it, but did not know how to ask. He did not pull her closer, though he wanted to, only held her as she was, his hand moved to trace the outline of her face, and when he broke away, she was gasping for breath. She didn't know what exactly he had awakened inside her, but she had a desperate need to explore it.

You can't abandon me  
You belong to me

Their kiss turned hungry when Kaoru's hands found Kenshin's hair and embedded themselves in it. With a growl, he pulled her closer to him, one arm around her waist, the other snaking its way up and down her back. They needed to touch, to feel, to need each other. Theirs was a hunger left too long unquenched. What once was smoldering just beneath the surface now came out in fiery torrents hot enough to blister the skin.

Kenshin gently pushed her back onto her futon and found her own hair with his right hand. Yanking the tie from it, he loosed it, and ran his fingers through her long, loose locks. Kaoru had soaked in the tub that afternoon at the demand of Megumi, and had taken the time to wash her hair—now she was thankful it was clean. Her hands found the crease where his gi separated, and she slid her hands inside. His flesh was surprisingly smooth, if somewhat scar-riddled.

Kenshin pulled at the tie holding her uniform closed and she finally stopped what she was doing to take it off. No sooner had she found herself lying naked in her room, than Kenshin had abandoned the area just above her. He tilted himself back on his heels, breathing heavily, just gazing at her.

"Kenshin?" she asked, looking over her body, realizing that the scars and bruises were probably too horrific a scene for anyone to make love to. She began to reach for her clothes, but Kenshin grabbed her wrist.

"Don't you dare." He smiled at her face. "You're beautiful."

She'd never heard that before. She certainly wasn't expecting it now, not from him. This dance she was doing, she realized it had become a habit, and when he pulled away, he had thrown off the rhythm, and it made her uncomfortable.

He was determined not to let her fall into an old habit, and end up hating herself of letting him take advantage of her. He was going to be absolutely sure that what they were doing was her decision.

Breathe in and take my life in you  
No longer myself only you  
There's no escaping me, my love  
Surrender

She began to get nervous. When he pulled away, she realized that this wasn't like it had always been. She wasn't going to be able to just go somewhere else in her head. This was real. This was with someone she cared about. This was going to happen and she was going to decide so.

Fidgeting on the bed she pleaded with him to join her. Finally, Kenshin pulled himself close to her again, touching her face, kissing her softly, and telling her that he loved her.

Kaoru couldn't believe that he wasn't calling her a whore. She couldn't believe that he wasn't hitting her, beating her; she couldn't believe that he was taking the time to admire her body—even after what she'd been through. Tears rolled down her face, and it wasn't until Kenshin began to kiss them away that she even realized that she had been crying.

She began to peel away his layers, and soon she found him as naked as herself. When her hands stilled on his sides, he kissed her again, and then pulled away again. Kaoru closed her eyes tight.

"Look at me Kaoru. I want you see me. I want you to see that I'm not going to hurt you." Kenshin's voice was patient, quiet and calm. He knelt still, looking at her, gazing lovingly over her, willing her to look up and see him as not only a man, but as a man who would protect and care for her until the day he died. He had a need for her to see that he wasn't one of those men who'd attacked the dojo that night.

Darling, there's no sense in running  
You know I will find you  
Everything is perfect now  
We can live forever

Kaoru hesitantly opened one eye, and then another, first only focusing on the part of him she identified as a man. And then, she traveled up his stomach, across his shoulders, over his face, and when she met his eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

There he was, kneeling, his arms hanging by his side rigidly, staring down at her with every ounce of love a man can possess. She had to believe it would be different with him. She had to believe that it wouldn't hurt with him. Slowly, she reached out, and touched him. He jerked in response, but then reclaimed his stance, encouraging her exploration.

Finally, she reached his face, where a finger traced his scar, and then his lips, and her lips followed suit. His arms came to surround her, to pull her close, to claim her. "I will not hurt you." He murmured. "I love you Kaoru."

She wasn't afraid anymore, there were no defenses anymore, no more walls to put up, no reason to guard herself. This was what she was looking for. This is what would heal her—He was what she needed. The Battousai. The manslayer would bring this woman back to life.

You can't abandon me  
You belong to me

They fell back onto the futon with a flourish. His hands moved slowly over her body, he lavished her mouth with his own, he reveled in every curve, ever crevice, and every sound she made he marked into his memory.

She was unsure at first what to do with her hands. She was used to being chained up or tied down. Her hands weaved in and out of his hair, down his back up his sides, over his chest, she found places that he particularly seemed to like and she lingered there, memorizing his body like a map. His mouth traveled down her neck to her collarbone and down the valley between her breasts to her navel. She jerked his head back up by the hair—Kenshin growling in reply—for another heated kiss.

This dance couldn't last long and Kenshin knew it. They both needed something more, and thought Kaoru might have her reservations, Kenshin intended to show her exactly what love felt like.

Sliding a knee between her thighs, he saw the recognition in her face. "Kaoru." He said her name and she looked away from the ceiling, and into his eyes. Suddenly, she remembered where she was.

"Kenshin." She said back, gasping for breath, "make me yours."

It was a simple request, but it was one that Kenshin did not need to have explained to him. Slowly, he found her, and slowly he entered her and slowly he stilled himself to watch her reaction.

Breathe in and take my life in you  
No longer myself only you  
There's no escaping me, my love  
Surrender

Kaoru gasped and laughed at the same time, gripping hard at Kenshin's sides. "It doesn't hurt anymore Kenshin! It doesn't hurt!" she curled her head into his neck and cried for joy, wrapping her legs tightly around his hips, she drew him further in, encouraging him to continue. "Please, don't ever stop."

Kenshin kissed her fully on the mouth, tears welling up in his own amber eyes, thanking every god that had ever been worshiped that his Kaoru was _his_ at last.

His pace quickened to a blinding speed, and Kaoru gasped as the tides of pleasure grew and grew. When her head fell back onto the pillow and she gasped out loud for breath, he whispered into her hear, "Give up, my love, surrender, I'll be here when you fall." And Kaoru plunged over the edge of oblivion, vaguely recalling Kenshin himself calling her name.

When she next opened her eyes, she lay beside him, curled around him, in his arms. It was morning. "We have a mess to clean up." She mumbled into his shoulder, grinning, knowing that the men from the night before were probably still lying about her courtyard.

"Let Aoshi and Sano handle it. Today is our day." Kenshin said, pulling her to himself.

"We can't spend all day in this room, Kenshin." She scolded, looking up into his beautiful violet eyes.

"Who said anything about staying here? We have the bath house and the kitchen and…" he grinned and she cuffed him.

"Just like old times." She mused.

"Is it?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Well, better." She said, and kissed him deeply.

Breathe in and take my life in you  
No longer myself only you  
There's no escaping me, my love  
Surrender

The end!

I hope you liked it!

© June 14, 2005

The Fairy Tale Mistress


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